Night of the Crane | By @WendyyWolfe

5. Märchen

The gym was fraught with humanity and immediately upon entering Macallan and Dylan were approached by an elderly women who Macallan recognized as being from the Baptist Church, a big old ancient building that dated back to the beginnings of the town which towered over the square on Main Street from a bygone era of it's religious glory. He wondered almost aimlessly if the women were as old as the church itself but as he and Dylan were quickly ushered over to a table where men and women were handing out information and gathering information about the citizens who were staying or just needing minor help, his thoughts were shifted as he was left standing there with Dylan next to him.

"Will you gentlemen be staying here overnight?"

The question came from a sweet lady seated at the end of the table. "I'm not sure," he answered still examining the colossal room amazed with the amount of people milling about whispering and discussing the current situation in hushed and secretive tones. "Who are all these people?" He asked her changing the subject abruptly.

"Oh, a lot of them have come from the neighboring counties," she answered him with a smile. "Now, about staying gentlemen. . ."

Macallan shook his head. "I'm just not sure yet ma'am, it looks to be pretty over crowded already."

"Well please let us know as soon as you decide. We have specific sleeping arrangements pre-planned to keep families with young children in areas separate from young people, etcetera, etcetera, you know, and if you like you can join the others already in the cafeteria."

"Oh," Macallan engaged her sweetly, "is that where us, 'young people,' are gathering?"

"Why yes, it is actually, but it's up to you. They' re serving cold sandwiches and iced tea over there I believe. If your hungry."

She dismissed him with that comment turning her attentions to a young family with several small children.

Macallan shook his head inwardly. It was a wonder civilization made it with help like hers.

"Come on Dylan lets go sit in the bleachers down on the end near the side door in case we gotta make a fast exit."

They climbed up the stepped box seats right on the edge as Macallan wanted and they continued to watch the room. Macallan had a bad feeling about all of it and said as much to Dylan.

"This is just high strangeness Dylan," he said. "Don't you think so? I mean, if I didn't know better, I'd think this was just one big town sleepover," Macallan remarked as he watched the groups of people wading in and out, gathering to talk as children ran amuck between them. Towards the complete opposite side of where they sat there were line and lines of cots and in the front corner of the gym near the halls that led to the showers a makeshift medical area was being constructed.

There was a static expectancy in the air unlike he had ever experienced and he'd been to plenty of football games in his life to know something didn't set right with all this. "I mean are you seeing this Dylan?" He asked again and getting no response, he turned and noticed Dylan staring in the direction of the doors they had come through earlier. His face was ashen white and he sat deathly still as if he were seeing a ghost. Macallan followed his line of sight and he audibly sucked in air at what he saw.

A group of police officers stood around talking, with those little styrofoam cups of coffee and with them, alive and well, stood Deputy Storey. As they chatted among themselves, they kept an eye on the doors and every now and again stopped to survey the room.

Macallan stood straight up. The action drew the attention of the one who just hours earlier lay dying at Macallan's feet, filled with bullet holes and a badly beaten face. A curse left Macallan's lips as the Deputy separated from the group and made his way over toward them greeting them with a casual smile.

"Dylan, Mac," he gave them both a curt nod. "Well. I thought I left the two of you safe at the station, but it looks like y'all managed to walk right out," he chuckled ignoring their stunned expressions. "You'll have to let me in on your secret sometime. It's obvious those cells aren't as fool proof as I thought now."

Dylan sat like a stone, his mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out.

Macallan was a little faster on wit and cocked his head to one side curiously as he stared a hole in the Deputy's face.

"That's funny Deputy. Because we thought we left you wrapped in a bloody sheet on the station floor," he drawled just as several people walked up and joined them.

The deputy gave him a hard look, not appreciating the sarcasm but chuckled with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Really Mac? You sure y'all ain't been smoking a little of that so called, southern comfort, goin' around town now have ya?"

The deputy got a good round of laughter out of that from a few of the ladies who had gathered around him and several men took his attention then wanting to know if there had been any news concerning what had happened in town tonight.

Macallan shook with waves of anger. His ears buzzed as his blood pressure rose. This just damn well couldn't be happening, he thought. Was this some kind of sick joke? A halloween prank? What the actual fuck. He absently grabbed Dylan by the arm.

"Come on. We' re getting the fuck out of here."

Macallan jumped from the bleacher to the floor in one fluid motion waiting for Dylan to come after him and they walked out the side door walking around to the front where they weaved through the various trucks and supplies, tents and radio decks filled with electronics, radar systems and computer equipment.

National Guard manned these posts and as they passed by Macallan listened to the conversations between them, grabbing Dylan's arm and halting him in mid step. He motioned for Dylan to step back with him behind the attached tent. He wanted to hear more about what was happening if he could.

Dylan held his breath as they stood behind the tent and listened to the radio 'chit-chat' coming across the air waves.

Macallan bit his tongue to keep from grabbing the mic and demanding answers because apparently, this was happening everywhere.

Dylan looked at him and Macallan held a finger up to his lips for quiet. Two soldiers walked by furiously discussing what they had seen back in town. It was a blood bath. Simply put.

Macallan 's lips formed a frown, he grabbed Dylan and they slipped out of hiding continuing to head for the gate but stopping short as an argument broke out between several men and the guards. They too wanted to leave but were being stopped and forced back to the school, told to get back inside until morning.

Grumbling they backed away passing Macallan and Dylan on the way.

"Hey," Macallan said joining them. "Are y'all trying to leave?

"We were, yeah. But I don't think that's gonna happen now."

They grouped together to talk but the gate keepers came up with weapons drawn.

"We told you to go back inside. It's for your own safety people."

"Sure," Macallan assured them speaking lightly. " We're going."

He gave the other guys a look to follow him and they did, heading back toward the gym where they went inside and promptly headed right back to the side door he and Dylan had left through earlier. Unfortunately two police officers had been stationed there now but Macallan approached them anyway.

"Uh yeah we're just gonna go out here for a smoke," he told the cop who just nodded. Macallan looked back and smiled.

"Come on," he nodded toward the door heading back outside.

The cop stopped him and gave him a hard look. "Just no further than the sidewalk and stay out of way of the military while your out there. Just knock when you want back in," he directed them.

"Yes officer," Macallan agreed.

The cop opened the door and let them out watching momentarily as a couple of the men lit cigarettes and gave one to Macallan who lit up and took a long hard drag.

When the door slammed shut Macallan threw the cigarette to the ground, taking off for the football field and the small group followed him. There were plenty of other exits at the Lyle Keefe High School and Macallan knew them all.